Casing head for oil and gas wells



Oct. 20, 1931. w. 1.. CHURCH I CASING HEAD FOR OIL AND GAS WELLS Filed March 8. 1929 Patented Oct. 20, 1931' A L. CEUBCE, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS ma 1mm roza 011. AND ens WELLS Application med larch a,

.10 inner pipe in the casing so as to effectively prevent the escape of oil or gas from the well between the casing and inner pipe or stem.

Another object of. the invention is to prol vide means, in a casing head, which is normally in inactive, or open position so as not to interfere with the usual operations carried on through the casing, but which may be moved either manually or mechanically into position about the inner pipe or drill stem so that as the inner stem is lowered, a coupling thereof will land on the packing or sealing means employed, and carry the same down into thebowl or seat in the casing head spider to form a fluid tight seal between said seat and the inner pipe or stem. A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for securing said seal, or packer, in the casing head seat.

With theabove and other objects in view this invention has particular relation to certain novel' features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts an example of which is given in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein v Figure'l shows a side elevation of the device, partly in section, with the packer, or seal, in its upper position.

showing the packer in lower or sition, and shown partly in section.

Figure 3 shows an upper end view of thedevice partly in section, and shown in. open once designate similar parts in'eachof the Figure 2 shows a side elevation thereof, po-

1929. Seria No. 345,411.

figures the numeral 1 designates a. casing ada' ted to'be set in a well bore. Attached to t e upper end of this casing there is a tubular spider 2 having the lateral flow line connections 3, 3. The upper end of this spider forms an enlarged'bowl 4 having an inside annular seat 5 and the upper end of the spider is formed with an annular outwardly extending flange 6,. There is a tubular holder formed of the similar confrontingsections 7, 7, arcuate in cross sectional contour. The upper ends of these sections have the arcuate inwardly extending flanges 8, 8 which are provided with the inside registering notches 9, 9 to receive the inner pipe,

or drill stem 10, whose sections are connected by the couplings, as 11. The lower endsof the respective sections 7 have the external flanges 12, '12 having thev internal arcuate cavities 13, 13 to receive the external flange 6. This flange forms, in effect, a track on' wlaich the sections 7, 7 are supported and r1 e. 1

Within the respective holder sections are the sleevesections 14, 14, arcuatein cross sectional contour and each of which is com osed of the expanslble packing 15, and then per and lower arcuate metal; sections 16, 17 a ova and below said packing, and suitably secured thereto. Each sleeve section has the downwardly and outwardly sloping face 18 on which a wedge shaped dog 19 is mounted to slide. The outer face of each dog is toothed to engage the inner wall of the holder 7. The dogs 19 preferably have a dovetailed connection with corresponding sleeve sections.

Around the holder there is an elliptical yoke 20 which is attached, at one end, to one of the sections 7 by means of a bolt 21 and an actuating shaft 22 is threaded through the other end of the yoke 20 and its inner end has a swivelling connection with the other section 7. The sections 14 are normally held inupper position, against the flanges 8' by means of frangible By rotating the sha the holder sections may be moved apart, or into inactive position, as shown in Figure 3,

pms 23, 23.

and by rotating the shaft 22 in the other di- 22 in one direction into open, or inactive position, as shown in Figure 3 so as to be out of the way but in case strong pressure is encountered in the well the holder may be'actuated, as above indicated, to close the sleeve sections about the pipe and the'inside pipe 10 then lowspider having an internal seat therein, a seceied t6 land the coupling 11 on the sections 1 as shown, in Figure 1. The weight of this inside pipe will shear the pins 23 and the sleeve sections will be lowered onto the seat 5 and the weight of the pipe carried by said sleeve sections will expand the packing 15 out against the surrounding walls of the bowl 4, as shown in Figure 2 and a tight joint will thus be formed between the casing and inner pipe to prevent the escape of the oil or gas between them and the fluid in the casing around the inner pipe may be relieved through either or both of the lines attached to the connections 3 and the oil in the Well may be controlled and discharged from-the well through the inner pipe 10 in the usual way. Y

The sleeve sections 14, when in lower position are securely locked against upward.

movement in the bowl by the dogs 19.

v The sections 14 are held in transverse alignment in any suitable manner, as by means of dowel pins 24, carried by each section 14 and projecting into sockets 25 in the abutting faces of the other-section 14.

What I claim is 1. A casin head including a tubular spider adapted t a well bore, a bowl at the upper end of the tional holder on the upper end of the spider formed of confronting sections having a slidable connection with the spider and movable toward and from each other, arcuate'sealing means in the holder'sections formed to surround an inner pipe and adapted to 'lod e on said seat, and means for actuating t e holder sections toward and from each other. 2. A casing head including a tubular spider adapted to beconnected to a casing in a well, a bowl at the upper end of the spider, a seat beneath the bowl, a holder above the bowl, sealing means in the holder, formed to surround an inner pipe frangible means normally retaining said sealing means in said holder.

3. A casing head including a tubular spider adapted to be connected to a casin in a well, a bowl at the upper end of the spi er,

an annular seat beneath the bowl, a holder above the bowl, sealing means in theholder, formed to surround an inner pipe, frangible means normally retaining said sealing means 0 be connected to a casing'in in said holder, the upper end of the sealing means being exposed so that a coupling of,

spider, a seat below the bowl, a holder on the spider formed of sections, means foradjustmg sald sections toward and from each other,

confronting sealing means in the holder formed to surround an inner pipe in the casing, means for retaining the sealing means in the holder sections, said holder being formed to expose the upper ends of the sealing means, when the sealing means are adjusted into position about the inner pipe.

5. A casing head including a tubular spider adapted to be connected to a casing in a well, a bowl at the upper end of the spider, a seat below the bowl, a holder on the spider formed of sections, means for adjusting said sections toward and from each other, confronting sealing means in the holder formed to surround an'inner pipe in the casing, means for retaining the sealing means in holder sections, said holder being formed to expose the upper ends of the sealing means, when the sealing means are adjusted into position about the inner pipe, to permit a pipe coupling to land thereon and force the sealing means into said bowl and onto said seat, upon descent of the inner pipe.

6. A casing head including a tubular spider adapted to be connected to a casing in a well, a bowl at the upper end of the spider, a seat below the bow a holder on the spider formed of sections, means for adjusting said sections toward and from each other, confronting sealing means in the holder formed to surround an inner pipe in the casing, means for retaining the sealing means in the holder sections, said holder being formed to expose the upper ends of the seallng means, when the sealing means are adjusted into position about the inner pipe, to permit a pipe coupling to land thereon and force the sealing means into said bowl and onto said seat, upon descent of the inner pipe and said sealing means and holder being provided, one with an engaging device arranged to engage the other, to prevent upgill? movement of the sealing means in said 7. A casing head including a tubular spider adapted to be connected to the upper end of a casing in a well, a seat within the spider, a holder above the spider, a sealing means within the holder above said seat, said holder and sealing means being formed to surround an inner pipe in the casing and being adjustable into active position to close the sealing means closely, about the pipe and into-inactive position to space the sealing means from said pipe the upper end of the sealing means being exposed, when said means are in said active position, to permita shoulder on the inner pipe to land thereon to seat said sealing means on said seat.

8. A casing head including a tubular spider adapted to be connected to the upper end of a casing in a well, a seat within the spider, a holder'above the spider, a sealing means within the holder, said holder and sealing means being formed to surround an inner pipe in the casing and being adjustable into active position to close the sealing means closely about the pipe and into inactive position to space the sealing means from said pipe, and frangible means normally retaining the sealing means in the holder.

9. A casing head including a tubular spider adapted to be connected to the upper end of a casing in a well, a seat within thespider, a holder above the spider, a sealing means within the holder, said holder and sealing means being formed to surround an inner pipe in thescasing and being adjustable holder, able sections and characterized by the pro into active position to close the sealing means closely about the pipe and into inactive position to space the sealing means from said pipe, frangible means normally retaining said sealingmeans in the holder, said sealing means, when in active position, being in position to receive a pipe, coupling thereon, upon descent of the pipe, whereby said frangible means may be broken by the weight of the p'pe and the sealing means landed on said seat.

10. A casing head including a tubular spider adapted to be connected to a casing in a well, a bowl at the up r end of the spider, a seat beneath the bowl: a holder above, the bowl, sealing means in the holder, formed to surround an inner pipe, frangible means normally retaining said sealing means'in said said holder being formed of adjustvision of a yoke therearound to which one holder section is connected and. an adjusting shaft operatively connected with said. yoke and with the other holder section.

' 11. A casing head including a tubular spider adapted to be connected to a casing in a well, a bowl at the up er end of the spider, a seat beneath the bow a holder above the bowl, sealingmeans in the holder, formed pipe, means normally retaining said sealing means in said holder, the upper end of the sealing means being exposed so that av coupling of the inner pipe may land thereon, in case of the descent of .-said' pipe, to effect the breakin of the rep the sealing means on said seat, and means carried by the the walls taining means and the landing o sealing means and engageable with of the holder to retain against said seat. A

12-. In a casing head attached to a casing said sealing means in a well bore and having an inside seat; a seal shaped to surround an inner pipe in the casing said seal being movable into inactive position in spaced relation to the inner pipe to permit said inner pipe to pass therethrough and being also movableinto active position to closely surround said inner pipe, the upper end of said seal when in said active position, being exposed to permit a shoulder on the inner pipe to land on said upper end to seat said seal on said seat.

13. In a casing head attached to a casing in a well bore and having an inside seat; a seal shaped to surround an inner pipe in the casing said seal being movable into inactive position in spaced relation to the inner pipe to permit said inner pipe to pass there- 'through and being also movable into active III 

